Quantum Dot OLED is here and in the Samsung S95B it’s simply stunning
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(Image credit: Samsung)
(Image credit: Samsung)
T3 Verdict
Reasons to buy+Stunningly bright images+A host of gaming features+Slim, eye-catching design
Stunningly bright images
A host of gaming features
Slim, eye-catching design
Sound could be better
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
You’re probably thinking: aSamsungOLED TV, surely there’s some mistake? No, you read the title of this review correctly, because after a decade absent from thebest OLED TVs, the Korean giant is back with a whole new twist on this well-established and highly popular display technology.
The Samsung S95B is based around the brand’s cutting-edgeQD-OLEDpanel, which uses Quantum Dots to deliver richer colours and brighter highlights. You might expect such bleeding-edge tech to demand a premium, but thanks to some recent price drops, it’s actually a bargain from the off.
SAMSUNG S95B: PRICE & RELEASE DATE
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The Samsung S95B is on sale now, available in two screen sizes: the 55-inch QE55S95B costs £1,249/$1,499; while the 65-inch QE65S95B (as reviewed here) retails for £1,699/$1,899.
Whichever side of the pond you call home, those are some seriously competitive prices, especially compared toSony’s A95K, which uses the same panel. The widget below will show you updated pricing for both sizes.
Today’s best Samsung S95B, Samsung QE55S95B and Samsung QE65S95B dealsSamsung S95B$1,847.95ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung S95B, Samsung QE55S95B and Samsung QE65S95B dealsSamsung S95B$1,847.95ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung S95B, Samsung QE55S95B and Samsung QE65S95B dealsSamsung S95B$1,847.95ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung S95B, Samsung QE55S95B and Samsung QE65S95B deals
Samsung S95B$1,847.95ViewSee all prices
Samsung S95B$1,847.95ViewSee all prices
Samsung S95B$1,847.95ViewSee all prices
Samsung S95B
Samsung S95B
$1,847.95View
$1,847.95
$1,847.95
See all prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
SAMSUNG S95B REVIEW: FEATURES & WHAT’S NEW
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The Samsung S95B’s big new feature is its use of the brand’s proprietary Quantum Dot OLED (QD-OLED) technology, although Samsung has rather quixotically decided to market its latest 4K HDR range as simply an OLED TV, with no mention of the underlying QD-OLED panel design.
Sowhat is QD-OLED? Put simply, it’s a blue OLED that usesQuantum Dot layers (that explained here)to create the red and green sub-pixels. This approach eliminates the issue of the blue OLED decaying faster than red and green OLED, while also delivering brighter images and more precise colours.
SAMSUNG S95B REVIEW: PERFORMANCE
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The Samsung S95B enjoys all the benefits you would normally associate with an OLED TV, but then builds on them to take the performance to another level. This results in colours that are bolder and truer, while the overall luminance and specular highlights are both significantly brighter.
The Filmmaker Mode delivers highly accurate pictures right out of the box, ensuring the SDR performance immediately impresses with natural-looking colours, fine detailing, deep blacks, and well-rendered shadows. The S95B is sure to please the most demanding of videophiles.
This assured delivery also applies to HDR (high dynamic range), where precise tone-mapping guarantees fidelity when it comes to reproducing the darkest shadows or the brightest highlights. The absence of any crush in the blacks or clipping in the whites produces a picture with remarkable levels of contrast.
The S95B can hit 1000 nits of peak brightness with ease, and the self-emissive nature of OLED ensures these blinding highlights are delivered with pixel precision. The resulting pictures retain a wonderful sense of realism, while the new panel also produces brighter full-screen images.
The use of Quantum Dots generates colours that are purer and more subtle, and when combined with the increased luminance the result is HDR that hits you between the eyes with plenty of pop. The S95B also achieves this without sacrificing accuracy, thus retaining the original artistic intent.
The 4K Neural Quantum Processor combines with the superior contrast and enhanced colours to create 4K images that are full of detail but free of any distracting artefacts. As a result, the S95B can upscale or enhance lower-resolution or compressed content with remarkable precision.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The motion handling is also excellent, which means movies and TV dramas delivered at 24p benefit from movement that is rendered without any unwanted judder or artefacts. There’s extra processing for fast-paced sports if necessary, and support for 120Hz higher frame rate (HFR) gaming.
The panel uniformity is excellent, with no signs of banding or other issues, and in testing there were no problems with image retention or screen burn. Finally, the self-emissive nature of OLED means the contrast and colours continue to look stunning if you’re watching from an angle.
The Samsung S95B sounds surprisingly good considering its size-zero measurements, but given the limited amount of space for speakers, this TV only uses the basic version of Samsung’s Object Tracking Sound technology. That means no height speakers or powerful woofers.
The sound system is fine for general TV viewing, but if you want greater scale and deeper bass, you should invest in one of thebest soundbars for Samsung TVs. If you decide to do this, the S95B includes support forQ-Symphony, allowing it to seamlessly integrate with any compatible Samsung soundbar.
To test the Samsung S95B we used Portrait Displays Calman colour calibration software
SAMSUNG S95B REVIEW: DESIGN & USABILITY
The S95B is a breeze to setup, with Samsung’s SmartThings app taking you through the entire process. The Tizen-powered smart system is comprehensive in its choice of video streaming apps, and while it can be sluggish, the layout ensures you can always find what you’re looking for.
The design is eye-catching, with a panel that’s only millimetres thick, and minimalist stying that looks very contemporary. The ultra-slim chassis is a little wobbly, but once attached to the stand the TV is more robust. Just be careful when moving it, or attaching to a bracket for wall mounting.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
An extensive choice of connections includes four HDMI inputs – all of which support4K/120Hz, HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ Adaptive, andALLM, pluseARC on HDMI 3. There’s also support forvariable refresh rates (VRR), includingAMD Freesyncand Nvidia G-Synch, which is great news for gamers.
In fact this is an ideal TV for gamers, not just because of all those features, but also because of an incredibly low input lag of 9ms. There’s a useful Game Bar that brings all the key controls into a single interface, along with a new Game Hub that offers a choice of streamed gaming services.
SAMSUNG S95B REVIEW: VERDICT
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The Samsung S95B is a stunning all-round performer, and a triumphant return to the OLED market. The Quantum Dot-powered panel lives up to its billing, delivering exceptional images that are bright, accurate and colourful, resulting in some of the best HDR seen on an OLED TV.
The blacks are awesome and the shadows richly detailed, while OLED’s pixel-perfection delivers super-bright and incredibly precise specular highlights. The motion handling is impressive, while a host of cutting-edge features ensures the S95B is a perfect choice for next-gen gamers.
Overall, the S95B marks an impressive return to the OLED TV market for Samsung. It offers a winning combination of design, class-leading technology and features; and thanks to some recent price drops, the S95B is also a bargain compared toSony’s competing A95K QD OLED.
Also consider
Today’s best Samsung S95B and Sony XR-A95K dealsSamsung S95B$1,847.95ViewSee all pricesSony XR-A95K$2,799ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung S95B and Sony XR-A95K dealsSamsung S95B$1,847.95ViewSee all pricesSony XR-A95K$2,799ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung S95B and Sony XR-A95K dealsSamsung S95B$1,847.95ViewSee all pricesSony XR-A95K$2,799ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung S95B and Sony XR-A95K deals
Samsung S95B$1,847.95ViewSee all pricesSony XR-A95K$2,799ViewSee all prices
Samsung S95B$1,847.95ViewSee all prices
Samsung S95B$1,847.95ViewSee all prices
Samsung S95B
Samsung S95B
$1,847.95View
$1,847.95
$1,847.95
See all prices
Sony XR-A95K$2,799ViewSee all prices
Sony XR-A95K$2,799ViewSee all prices
Sony XR-A95K
Sony XR-A95K
$2,799View
$2,799
$2,799
See all prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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